


Haunted House

by AccioInvisibilityCloak



Category: Lovely Little Losers, Nothing Much to Do
Genre: Beadick Travel Year, Ben still has social anxiety, F/M, Fluff, Going to a haunted house, Halloween, Post-Canon, Swearing, characters get jumpscared
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-27
Updated: 2017-10-27
Packaged: 2019-01-25 07:27:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12526116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AccioInvisibilityCloak/pseuds/AccioInvisibilityCloak
Summary: “I am NOT afraid of a stupid fake haunted house,” Bea insists. “I’m not!"“Oh, is that why you’re already holding my hand?” Ben teases. “Look, I’ll be right beside you the whole time— screaming in terror and feeding you to the monsters in my place.”Bea rolls her eyes. “Thank you, Ben. That makes me feel so much better.”Bea and Ben are in America, visiting her aunt and uncle. They accompany Bea's cousins to a haunted house attraction.





	Haunted House

**Author's Note:**

> Prompted by hideous-ideas-of-a-young-girl, last Halloween season! Enjoy!

***

        “Kind of nice, right? The autumn breeze, the full moon…” Beatrice muses, watching the sky through the tops of the yellow-orange trees. She reaches for Benedick’s hand to keep the two of them from getting separated, as the line of other people outside the haunted house shuffles forwards.

“It’s a beautiful night,” Ben agrees. “I’m just glad the scariest thing we’ve seen so far is the length of this queue.”

Bea and Ben are standing outside a large manor house, which has been decked out in lights and fake cobwebs and pumpkins for Halloween. They’re in upstate New York, staying with Beatrice’s aunt and uncle, who live a few towns over from here. Apparently, they buy tickets to this haunted house for their daughters every year. This year, they insisted on getting tickets for Bea and Ben as well.

Delia, Ginny and Regan, Beatrice’s cousins, have already disappeared into the haunted house on their own tour, accompanied by several of Delia’s friends.

“Do you get the feeling my cousins are avoiding us?” Bea asks, as a faint scream issues from the house. “I don’t think Delia’s too happy about her mum forcing her to bring us along.”

“She’s seventeen,” Ben points out. “Kids want their independence then. I remember when I was her age.”

Bea laughs. “It wasn’t _that_ long ago. You’re not even 20 yet.”

“In a few months, I will be!” Ben says. “Anyway, I don’t know, she’s _your_ family.”

“Who I’ve just met for the first time two days ago! It’s not as if I’ve been round for play dates our entire childhoods. I just want to know if they’re exaggerating about this haunted house to mess with us.” She eyes the nearing front porch with suspicion. Ben stares at her in amusement.

“I don’t believe it. Beatrice Duke, if I didn’t know better, I’d almost say you look _scared_.”

“Like hell I am!” Bea protests, laughing.

“Aww, c’mon, love,” Ben says. “You can admit it. It’s okay to be afraid.”

“I am NOT afraid of a stupid fake haunted house,” Bea insists. “I’m not!”

“Oh, is that why you’re already holding my hand?” Ben teases. “Look, I’ll be right beside you the whole time— screaming in terror and feeding you to the monsters in my place.”

Bea rolls her eyes. “ _Thank_ you, Ben. That makes me feel _so_ much better.”

“That’s what I’m here for,” Ben winks, as they reach the front of the line and enter the house.

Beatrice takes a deep breath, knowing this whole house is a fake attraction. She doesn’t let go of her boyfriend’s hand, though.

***

          Inside the house, the first thing they see is a long, dark hallway. On the walls are holographic pictures of people in period clothing. As they move along the hallway, the images change from living people to skeletons, their still-intact eyeballs following Ben and Bea as they go.

She hears his sharp intake of breath in the darkness, and squeezes his hand. “Scared already?”

“Nah, it’s just a bunch of spooky decorations. And besides, I’ve got my knight in shining armor to protect me.”

“Yeah you do,” says Bea proudly— and then a blood-spattered corpse falls from the ceiling right in her path, and she screams at the top of her lungs.

“Your _face_!” Ben says, and cracks up laughing. “Oh, man, I wish they allowed cameras in here, that was _incredible._ ”

“Shut up and keep walking, dickface,” Bea grumbles, her heart rate returning to normal.

            It goes like that for the next few rooms, Bea and Ben and the rest of their group walking along, startled by every sound, every tickle of spider webs across their skin. The anticipation is the worst, never knowing what might lurk in all those dark corners.

For all his bravery, though, Ben is an absolute chicken after the first killer clown jumps out at him. He keeps turning in circles and trying to look in every direction at once, so he won’t be surprised so easily.

Bea wraps her arms around him, forcing him to stop, and she can feel him shaking. Ben clings to her, trying to breathe slowly and evenly. It’s an obvious effort for him to calm down.

“Shit,” Bea says. “Is this going to be bad for your anxiety? I can’t believe I didn’t think to ask before. I’m so sorry. Do you need to leave or-”

“No, hey, I’m fine.” Ben takes a deep breath and nods. “I’m okay, love, I promise. Social interaction is a lot different from monsters and ghosts, and I brought a Xanax if I do start to panic. Thank you, though.”

“If you’re sure,” Bea says, and they keep going.

           In the next two rooms, Bea walks in first and takes the brunt of the scares, Ben still holding her hand. It helps for both of them, to be close to each other. Ben is good at keeping Beatrice calm. He even gets braver again, once he’s used to all the sensory input, and takes some of the later scares for her.

When a prop-knife-wielding guy in a monster mask lunges at Bea, Ben cries out and actually pulls her away from the creep, pinning her to the wall so that his body is between the actor and Beatrice. She gasps, surprised and exhilarated, holding back a laugh.

“Whoa,” Ben breathes. “Sorry, instinct, I guess. You okay?”

“Brilliant,” Bea nods. All she can think is that last time Ben ‘saved’ her like that, the attacker was just Peter throwing eggs at Vegan Fred. It’s so silly, she has to smile. But it’s also kind of sweet.

The knife guy disappears back into his hidey-hole to await the next customers, and Ben and Bea keep walking.

And screaming, as they enter the next and final room, filled with some eerily realistic blood-soaked dummies. Who can move. _Fast._

         “Those little shits!” Beatrice gasps, falling out of the back door of the house, Ben on her heels. She’s lightheaded and her voice is hoarse from all the screaming. “They _under_ sold this terrifying place!”

“Ugh,” Ben pants, leaning against a wall for support. “American Halloween does _not_ fuck around!”

“Scaredy-cats!” laughs a voice. Bea’s little cousin Regan, flanked by her older sisters. “You look like you saw an actual ghost. I can’t believe you guys were scared of a bunch of fake blood and special effects!”

Bea groans.

***

        A few hours later, they’re all back home. Bea’s aunt’s house is dark, her family sleeping soundly. Beatrice, however, is wide awake. All the lights are on in the guest room, and she almost jumps out of her skin when she hears a knock on the door.

“It’s me,” Ben whispers, coming in. He’s ready for bed, wearing an old t-shirt and striped blue pajama bottoms, his hair damp from the shower. She feels better just seeing him.

“Oh, good,” Beatrice says happily, reaching out her arms. “I don’t care if my aunt finds out- you are staying in here with me tonight.”

“You afraid to sleep too?” Ben grins, joining her in bed. “I’m expecting nightmares for sure.”

“Yeah, okay, I’m a haunted-house wimp too, sometimes,” Bea admits. “Mmmmm.”

Sinking under the blankets, she curls up against him, enjoying his arms around her and the kiss he presses to her temple as she holds him close.

“I can’t wait to be dressed as the Tenth Doctor to your Rose Tyler all day tomorrow,” Ben says. “People here will understand that reference, right?”

“Of course,” Bea says. “And more importantly, we’ll get free candy!”

“There’s the Beatrice I know and love,” Ben says.

“Hey, dickface?”

“Yeah?”

“I think it’s midnight. Happy Halloween.”

Ben smirks, leaning in. “In that case… Trick or treat, love?”

“Dork,” Bea says, and gives him a kiss.

It’s a perfectly sweet treat.

***

**Author's Note:**

> Full disclosure: I've never been to a haunted house attraction, since I too am a wimp. So I guessed. I think Bea and Ben would enjoy trick or treating more, since it isn't really much of a thing in NZ but we know they still like Halloween. I'm still hoping to finish my chaptered fics soon, so stay tuned! Happy Halloween! :)


End file.
